Plant based "Meats". Your opinion?

[Tadaen_Sylvermane]

I would assume they are trying this in other places as well. Here in the states they have a few places doing this. Burger King has the Impossible Whopper, Carls Jr / Hardees has the Beyond burger. This basically is a hamburger patty made out of plant protein. Not an ounce of actual beef or meat involved.

I tried a Beyond BBQ Cheeseburger this morning. And I was in shock. I worried I wasted my money on some kind of gimmick or joke. It turned out great. If I didn't know I ordered it, I would never have asked twice. It made me think beef producers have got a real problem if these people ever figure how to make a proper steak out of this stuff.

Have you tried it yet?

[QIII]

40 years ago I would have said "If you want a hamburger that tastes like beef, eat a beef one. If you want a veggie burger that tastes like beef -- waahhhh!"

In these days of accelerating anthropogenic climate change I say "If it cuts down on factory production of cattle, helps cut greenhouse gas emissions and really does taste like beef ... I'll take two."

[uRock]

I was eating them before they were adopted widely by the fast food market. They don't taste as good as my home made burgers on the grill, but they don't have the side effects of eating meats.

[1fallen]

I was eating them before they were adopted widely by the fast food market. They don't taste as good as my home made burgers on the grill, but they don't have the side effects of eating meats.

+1 yep your Burgers are the best in town. :) You need to fire up the barby one last time, as always I'll bring the beverage's. :p
That Burger King version isn't bad at all. :o

[uRock]

+1 yep your Burgers are the best in town. :) You need to fire up the barby one last time, as always I'll bring the beverage's. :p
That Burger King version isn't bad at all. :o

I've been tempted to make real burgers. ):P

We only eat meats once or twice a month. Usually when going out on date nights or family nights. I haven't cooked a real beef burger for more than a year and I have been craving one.

[cruzer001]

Deer, elk, antelope, got a freezer full. But got to say Burger King Impossible Whopper is one fine burger.

[wildmanne39]

Burger King Impossible Whopper is one fine burger
Good to know, I have been thinking about trying it, I have been eating a lot healthier and want to keep it that way.

[zimbuf]

A little worried for public health if these things aren't the complete set of proteins that normal meat provides. E.g. protein deficiency disorders or male endocrine disruption similar to phytoestrogen heavy diets. I'm also not convinced that if these are a complete set of proteins on par in quantity with meat that they're able to be sustainably farmed. More protein heavy crops tend to annihilate the top soil in a way that they can only be replenished by compost which - has to come from somewhere.

The carbon economics of this stuff is messy and sadly not as direct as we'd like to think.

[uRock]

A little worried for public health if these things aren't the complete set of proteins that normal meat provides. E.g. protein deficiency disorders or male endocrine disruption similar to phytoestrogen heavy diets. I'm also not convinced that if these are a complete set of proteins on par in quantity with meat that they're able to be sustainably farmed. More protein heavy crops tend to annihilate the top soil in a way that they can only be replenished by compost which - has to come from somewhere.

The carbon economics of this stuff is messy and sadly not as direct as we'd like to think.

I've eaten less than twenty meat based meals in the past 18 months. These burgers are overly processed, so I still don't eat them very often. I'd only be worried if people were eating these for every meal.

[zimbuf]

I'd only be worried if people were eating these for every meal.

Well, that's what I was really concerned about. Since from nutritional labels, it's nigh impossible to tell if anything is all 9 of the proteins you need to function, as 'protein: 30g' could be 30g of pure leucine and none of the other 8 you must have to survive.

Slightly related, research shows prepubescent/pubescent kids likely should not be put on these kinds of diets for developmental reasons (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3433562/), but for old farts like us who are just kind of sustaining, we probably haven't got much to worry about.

[SweetDreams]

I consumed lots of plant based meat substitutes when I was vegan for about seven months in 2018. They're pretty good! It all depends on how they're prepared, seasoned, and cooked. I have a nice vegan restaurant down the street from my house that makes really good stuff. I'm particularly fond of Daiya cheese and Impossible meat substitutes, but eh. I don't make enough money to afford them regularly, and omnivorous diet is cheaper so I went with the latter in the end. Sucks that I can't be vegan the way I want to be without additional income, but such is life. I'd give them an 8/10.

[giant-paw]

Have you tried it yet?
I've never tried but this thing definitely deserves attention ](*,)and wide approval =d>. People should replace all usual meat eventually. they should even restrict real meat! In all countries.

[uRock]

I've never tried but this thing definitely deserves attention ](*,)and wide approval =d>. People should replace all usual meat eventually. they should even restrict real meat! In all countries.

Good luck selling that idea in my home town, where you can visit local farms and by x percent of a cow for pennies on the dollar compared to the grocery store. Many people in my neighborhood raise their own chickens, some for eggs and some for meat. We even have a few elk farms here.

[haplorrhine]

Good luck selling that idea in my home town, where you can visit local farms and by x percent of a cow for pennies on the dollar compared to the grocery store. Many people in my neighborhood raise their own chickens, some for eggs and some for meat. We even have a few elk farms here.
I suppose it would be cheaper, and healthier, if it didn't have to be preserved. Oh, and some risk of transmitting salmonella, E coli and other human-derived opportunistic pathogens, but no Mad Cow disease as long as they were cuts of steak but not industrial-scale ground beef.

[poorguy]

They're pretty good! It all depends on how they're prepared, seasoned, and cooked.
I agree if not seasoned and cooked right they are bland.

I mix a lot of garlic and onion and green and red bell peppers in mine and cook them on the charcoal grill and they're good but nothing beats a 100% beef hamburger imo.

[echotech2]

I tried a Burger King fakebuger. My opinion: Insufficient grease.

[poorguy]

I tried a Burger King fakebuger. My opinion: Insufficient grease.

If you want grease stick with the veggie burgers they are loaded with grease and gross.

The plant beef if made at home and cooked on a charcoal grill or in a skillet isn't bad if you add seasoning etc.

The plant beef is dry so brush some olive oil on it while cooking it but don't over oil or over cook the burger.


Have a read.
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/beef-burgers-learn-make

):P

[Tadaen_Sylvermane]

Well, that's what I was really concerned about. Since from nutritional labels, it's nigh impossible to tell if anything is all 9 of the proteins you need to function, as 'protein: 30g' could be 30g of pure leucine and none of the other 8 you must have to survive.

Slightly related, research shows prepubescent/pubescent kids likely should not be put on these kinds of diets for developmental reasons (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3433562/), but for old farts like us who are just kind of sustaining, we probably haven't got much to worry about.

May be true. However I can't even think of a single time science has flip flopped on vegetables and plants, saving finding out something was poisonous or something. I can recall countless times in the last 30 years where red meat is good, red meat is bad, back and forth many many times. I'd say that alone makes it superior for me.

[uRock]

May be true. However I can't even think of a single time science has flip flopped on vegetables and plants, saving finding out something was poisonous or something. I can recall countless times in the last 30 years where red meat is good, red meat is bad, back and forth many many times. I'd say that alone makes it superior for me.

Very true.

[kevdog]

I've had both the Beyond and Impossible Burgers -- both however were at various bars in the neighborhood and they were both great. The White Castle beyond burger is nasty as is most things that you get at White Castle. I haven't tried the Burger King variant yet. Like any meat or veg product --- they method in which they are prepared means a lot.

[MoebusNet]

For the zombies among us, should we be looking into meat-based plants? Happy Halloween!

[haplorrhine]

Well, that's what I was really concerned about. Since from nutritional labels, it's nigh impossible to tell if anything is all 9 of the proteins you need to function, as 'protein: 30g' could be 30g of pure leucine and none of the other 8 you must have to survive.

Slightly related, research shows prepubescent/pubescent kids likely should not be put on these kinds of diets for developmental reasons (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3433562/), but for old farts like us who are just kind of sustaining, we probably haven't got much to worry about.

May be true. However I can't even think of a single time science has flip flopped on vegetables and plants, saving finding out something was poisonous or something. I can recall countless times in the last 30 years where red meat is good, red meat is bad, back and forth many many times. I'd say that alone makes it superior for me.

Not flip-flopped, but different methodological designs conducted and interpreted by different vested interests.
red meats=worse (but possibly vital for brain health of ancestors);
cured=worse;
"processed"(re:Harvard)=very worse;
These were correlations. Serving sizes, for red meat, were also inversely correlated.
And milk might actually have too much calcium that isn't eliminated, as retinol isn't eliminated but beta-carotene is.

Hence I bought the peanut butter with the 'Ingredients:Peanuts.' Yum, choline! And peanuts are a member of a grouping of foods, the nuts, that Harvard found to have the strongest correlation with longevity, their measure of "health." But choline specifically is involved in the same brain functions that are impaired by botox injections, functions that seem to be related to interoceptive functions or ToM (alexithymic) functions. Should I prescribe peanut butter for autism, or am I being too hasty?

[pretty_whistle]

A store by me sold meatless hamburger patties. I tried them and loved it. Too bad they stop selling it.

[C.S.Cameron]

Our Safeway carries Beyond Meat at $7 for four thin burgers.

I start with dry soy meat, (TVP), which cost about $1 a pound, and makes about five pounds of finished product.

Add enough water to make if soft but firm, too much water takes a long time to cook and can make it mushy.

Grind it to the consistency of ground beef and fry it in soy oil until it starts to brown.

Add chopped onion to taste and continue frying until the onion starts to brown.

I add a packet of no name taco seasoning, and a minute or so later add tomato, tomato sauce or tomato paste, a little water and simmer.

This make a great taco filling or sloppy joes.

For burgers, I add a little gluten, (and sometimes an unfertilized egg), and fry or barbecue.

We make a big batch and freeze patties for later.

The finished product is nearly pure protein and taste better than Beyond Meat or Impossible Burger, at a small fraction of the cost.

No wierd stuff in it, no steroids or antibiotics.

[uRock]

Our Safeway carries Beyond Meat at $7 for four thin burgers.

I start with dry soy meat, (TVP), which cost about $1 a pound, and makes about five pounds of finished product.

Add enough water to make if soft but firm, too much water takes a long time to cook and can make it mushy.

Grind it to the consistency of ground beef and fry it in soy oil until it starts to brown.

Add chopped onion to taste and continue frying until the onion starts to brown.

I add a packet of no name taco seasoning, and a minute or so later add tomato, tomato sauce or tomato paste, a little water and simmer.

This make a great taco filling or sloppy joes.

For burgers, I add a little gluten, (and sometimes an unfertilized egg), and fry or barbecue.

We make a big batch and freeze patties for later.

The finished product is nearly pure protein and taste better than Beyond Meat or Impossible Burger, at a small fraction of the cost.

No weird stuff in it, no steroids or antibiotics.
You've got me wanting to try that. Thanks for sharing.

[Skaperen]

when real cows start telling me to eat those, then i will.

[Irihapeti]

I had a burger patty recipe some years ago which used ground toasted sunflower seeds in place of meat. I was following a vegetarian diet at the time, so I took some of these to a neighbourhood barbecue to ensure that I had something I could eat - apart from the salads and so forth, that is.

For some reason, all the meat-eaters decided they liked these things, and I had to move fast so that I wouldn't go hungry. :)

[SantaFe]

Hmmmm..... I wonder why Chick-Fil-a hasn't considered offering something of this ilk? Think of the ads "We NOW have burgers as well as Chicken" :D

[1fallen]

Hmmmm..... I wonder why Chick-Fil-a hasn't considered offering something of this ilk? Think of the ads "We NOW have burgers as well as Chicken" :D

They were frightened by:

[echotech2]

I'm semi-vegan. I eat cows which eat plants.

[mastablasta]

once my wife made me Indonesian dish called Lontong balap. it's rice with soy beans in various shapes (tofu, sprouts, seeds...). anyway it also had this stuff. looked it like grinded beef meat, tasted like meat. so i told her i really liked the meat in the dish and what is the way to prepare it. fry or bake or what? and she told me that it was only soybeans prepared in special way. fooled me.

a few more recipes later i found out how well some plants can substitute the taste of meat. i already knew that celery can enhance the meaty taste.

anyway for burgers i still prefer beef patty i prepare myself. according to my son they are the best burgers in the world. but i am open to substitutes.

as for meat - in week for main meal we eat 3 days chicken, 1 or 2 days vegetables only, 1 day fish or seafood, 1 or 2 days beef. though lately we've went down to 1 day a week for beef.

[TheFu]

I worry that anything overly processed will have long-term negative health effects.

Grandpa had wisdom on this stuff. Eat real food. Have some sort of body effort/exercise every day outside for at least an hour. 1-2 times a week, have fun outside for 4+ hrs.

Don't eat too much of any 1 thing. Eat mostly veggies, but also some protein and fat at every meal. Fat doesn't make you fat. Bacon and butter are good, in moderation. Grandpa lived to age 93 and was active, sharp, until the last month. Good enough for me. Doubt I'll live that long. The other side of the family brought cancers and heart disease into our genetics. But living well is 80% life choices, 20% genetics. I believe that.

[jetsam]

Has anyone tried the "Megatables" at Arby's? They're almost prank dishes made out of meat made to look (and taste?) like vegetables. They make a carrot out of chicken breast and a sous-vied machine, for example.

Do they still do this? It might have been a one-off, mostly to get a press release out there and exposed. I'm not sure. I haven't been to Arby's since I was a nipper.

[malspa]

I rarely eat meat, but I am not a strict vegetarian. I tried that Impossible Burger from Burger King. Thought it was ok, but not something I'd go out of my way for. When I want meat, I don't want something that pretends to be meat. Anyway, I try to stay away from overly-processed foods.

[Shibblet]

I got a huge kick out of the Dunkin' Donuts ad that showed the Sausage Muffin, with a plant based "sausage" patty...
...but, was that a real egg on top of it... Is the egg plant based too?

[wolftrax]

I been a vegetarian so I like veggie burgers and often prefer them . I am no longer a vegetarian so I eat meat everyday.

[echotech2]

Do think they will ever produce meat-based plants?

[Shibblet]

Do think they will ever produce meat-based plants?

https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2019/06/27/arby-s-creates-world-s-first-meat-based-vegetable.html

[disabled20191124]

Have you tried it yet?

I haven't but it's certainly an interesting idea. It should help people who want to switch to vegetarianism and I'm sure it has a bright future.

I hope it will be available in my favourite stores soon. :)

[poorguy]

When I want meat, I don't want something that pretends to be meat.
I agree I want real meat and not no substitute.


I try to stay away from overly-processed foods.
What exactly has been added to make the substitute beef hamburger / sausage.

I've tried the beef hamburger and the sausage and the beef hamburger was OK and the sausage was horrible.

I believe I'll stay with the real meat and if I want plants food I'll eat salads and vegetables.

[bernard010]

I will go for the real Beef every time. Sliders not the same. I would like to see the Roast Beef look alike.
Odd enough to say, Roast with vegetables in a crock pot cooking all day long. "Where's The Beef" Ha. Ha.